Notes from Off of the Top of My Head...

by Ken Siwek

I've got a secret...do you want to know? I know where the Garden of Eden was originally located. I can even tell you where the gate to the Garden of Eden is!

"I think you've gone off the deep end, ol' friend..."

Let me offer an explanation or two, maybe shine a little light on my particular brand of insanity, and justify my lunacy. For several years, I have been an admirer of Chuck Missler, teacher on the radio program 'The Grand Adventure'. For those of you who know this man, I don't need to say a thing. For those who don't, this brother holds to the opinion that the entire Bible is an encoded message from God to man and that, in fact, the message of redemption by God Himself was deliberately hidden in every single book of the Bible. His whole goal is to stir up a thirst in Christians to study the Word of God, and he will present some very peculiar ideas just to get people to study for themselves and see if he really is a nut or if there is some validity to the idea presented.

Following in the footsteps of this great man, I offer a single caveat: don't believe a single thing I say until you check it out for yourself! This caveat is presented in the Bible in Acts 17:11, with a little different wording:

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character that the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11 (NIV - Used with permission)

"Every adventure begins with a single accident..."

Now, back to the Garden of Eden, I had just started my "Read Through the Bible in a Year" program. I was reading in Genesis, chapter 7, when I came across the following passage:

"In the six hundreth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month -- on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened." (emphasis mine) Genesis 7:11 (NIV - Used with permission)

Then it came to me (..!bing!..): two things happened here -- not only did it rain, but the "springs of the great deep burst forth". From various speakers on the Genesis flood, I had heard that this flood was world-wide, but I hadn't realised how incredibly, violently devestating the Bible implied the flood was. I never remembered hearing this "springs bursting"-thing before.

"Gee, that's neat -- what does it have to do with the Garden of Eden?"

Bear with me because trains of thought, by default, are convoluted.

First, I thought back to my eighth grade Earth science class: the theory of plate techtonics! This theory suggests that originally, the earth was only one land mass that had, through the years, separated from each other to form the continents. What if we took that wonderful theory and stuck Genesis chapter 7 in it? Then, it wouldn't take billions of years for the continents to drift apart; the continents were in great upheaval then and could be shoved around by these massive geysers bursting out of the ground, moving tons of dirt, animals and all sorts of debris around! There is no reason to believe that these bursting springs didn't also cause incredibly massive earthquakes, with techtonic plates slip-sliding all over.

"And now, back to the Bible..."

Then I remembered reading earlier in Genesis something that seemed utterly superfluous at the time. In Genesis, chapter 2, I read the following passage:

"And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates." Genesis 2:10-14 (AV*)

At the time I read it originally, it didn't even make an impression. But now, I asked myself, "what was Moses thinking when he wrote down this information? He obviously lived on the earth long after the devestation of the flood of Genesis 7, didn't he know that a few changes had gone on?" That's exactly the point! That is why he included the wonderful directions on how to locate the headwaters! One river encompasses a land known for gold, bdellium and onyx stone. One river encompases the land of Ethiopia. One river goes towards Assyria and the last is the Euphrates.

The Euphrates is still rather easy to find, so no need for detail there. In my mind, the second river is the next easiest to find: fit South America into its spot next to Africa and you've got a river between the two that "encompasses the land of Ethiopia". It seemed that the Mediterranean Sea could have been one of the "bursting springs"... With a children's Big Map of the Whole World, I narrowed down the search for the Garden of Eden down to the Middle East. The map has since been destroyed and I didn't record my observations at the time but, I do remember that one or two other seas in the area seemed likely candidates for the springs and headwaters.

Well, the most significant place in the Middle East, from a Biblical perspective, would have to be Jerusalem. But to present a kiddie map (with all the minerals produced in those regions) and two seemingly unrelated Scripture passages couldn't really support that. So that's when I started looking into the possibility of supporting material in the Bible.

"This is where the fun begins..."

The most logical place to begin studying was Genesis, chapter 3. There was listed the entrance to Eden, guarded by a flaming sword and a couple of cherubim... At this point, I must defer to Chuck Missler. In one of his studies through the book of Genesis, he said that there are those legitimate translators who state that this passage at the end of Genesis 3 could be translated a pillar of fire standing between two cherubim. Now the point Chuck Missler made was that this section brings to mind two structures designed by the Lord Himself: the ark of the covenant and Solomon's Temple. What does that tell us? That God has had this on His mind for a very long time; this expulsion from the garden and the redemption of man are vitally important to God.

It is important to take careful notice of why the cherubim and the flaming sword/pillar of fire are there: not to act as guards to ensure that Adam wouldn't sneak in, but "After (God) drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life Genesis 3:24 (NIV -- Used with permission). In essence, God was putting the Tree of Life in escrow with the cherubim and the pillar of fire/flaming sword. Before God would allow the transfer of the Tree of Life to man, man would have to be redeemed. Eden is a vitally important site, of great significance.

Eden was the original meeting place of God with man. I happen to believe that after the expulsion from the garden, it was still the meeting place of God and man. It would be the most logical place for Adam to go and make a sacrifice. It seems evident from later chapters in Genesis that that Adam and Eve had every expectation that one of their sons would be the promissed redeemer (Gen 4:25), so why would they leave the area?

"Aren't you reaching just a little bit?..."

Maybe, but it's glorious here and I've only just begun...

Jump with me to Genesis, chapter 22. This chapter recounts the "test of Abraham" where Abraham was called by God to sacrifice his son, his "only son". Abraham's instructions do not end there; he is told that there is a specific place to make the sacrifice. The place is Mount Moriah which happens to be in Jerusalem. It is a place where Abraham says "God will provide Himself a lamb for the burnt offering". That comment of Abraham's alone would allow us to believe that Abraham was aware that he was acting out a prophecy on the same site where the Lamb of God would be sacrificed to redeem all men and open the gate to the kingdom of God, which the book of Revelation describes as a garden with the Tree of Life in it (Rev. 2:7) Coincidence? I don't think so... Anyhow, it is on that site that Jesus was sacrificed, in fulfillment of the prophecy.

Our next stop on the search for Eden is the Book of First Chronicles, chapter 21 in particular, and find King David ordering a census of the fighting men in Israel, a thing described as being "evil in the sight of God". God sends his prophet to King David, saying, in effect, choose your punishment: three years of famine, three months of defeat before the enemy, or three days of the sword of the Lord. David, considering God as merciful, chooses the three days of the sword of the Lord. However, as the judgement of God nears Jerusalem, it suddenly halts and David is commanded to build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice there. This becomes the site of Solomon's Temple. But let us examine this a bit more closely.

"So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering." I Chronicles 21:25, 26 (NIV -- Used with permission)

Here again we see that as judgement came, it abruptly halted at the place of sacrifice, as in Genesis chapter 3. And, again, we see the angel of the Lord and a pillar of fire. Where? Just outside of Jerusalem. Another coincidence? They just seem to be piling up, don't they? And at the site of the temple, where soon would be built a model of the east gate of Eden.

"On the testimony of two or three witnesses..."

Using a concordance, I looked up the references in the Psalms regarding Eden and Zion. I found a few things worthy of note:

"Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved." Psalm 78:67-69 (NIV)

"He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."Psalm 87:1, 2 (NIV)

"For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: 'This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it... Psalm 132:13, 14 (NIV)

Apparently, God has a really serious interest in Jerusalem! Not anywhere in Israel would do; the Lord specifically chose the site for the temple to be Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Why? Because the Lord desired it. It doesn't really surprize me, though...God has a tendency to do that kind of thing -- choose someone or something and stick with it until the very end.

"From the mouths of the prophets..."

First, let's take a look at what Ezekiel had to say about God's restoration of the Garden of Eden (I mean, Israel):

"They will say, 'This land that was laid waste has become like the Garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.' The the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken and I will do it." Ezekiel 36:35-36 (NIV -- Used with permission)

My, my, my...isn't that interesting? A reference to Israel being made into the Graden of Eden and a reference to the Lord replanting (check out Genesis 2:8) ...? It's got to be a coincidence, right? Sorry, I see way too many "coincidences" here...God doesn't deal in coincidences, this is planned.

Isaiah has a little something to say as well:

"The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord ..." Isaiah 51:3a (NIV)

So we see that God shows a great deal of interest in Israel in general, and Zion/Jerusalem in particular.

"Now what do you have to say for yourself..."

So, you say, I'm still not convinced...I think you had a "coffee bean" revelation. Well, that's okay, you don't have to be right all the time (...that's a joke...). Anyway, the only thing you have to get right in this life are the issues relating to salvation. To put it simply:

Trust Jesus or die.

So you say to yourself, what does the location of the Garden of Eden have to do with me? Simply this: if God is that sentimental about a garden that He planted, how much more does He care about YOU, a person that He sacrificed Himself for. Read up in Collosians how much Jesus gave up just to save you! You are incredibly important to Him. Think about that for a little while, then take some time to pray and thank God for His remarkable love for you.

For the sake of berevity (don't laugh...), I haven't included the Scriptures that deal with God selecting or choosing Jerusalem for His own. Well, here's the references for a few, you can look them up yourself:

Respectfully sumbitted by your brother in Christ,
Ken Siwek. 1