Andrew Meredith’s Reviews > Paradise Restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion > Status Update

How do we know? Most obviously, the Bible just straight tells us (Eze 28:13-14), but even if we think Ezekiel is just being abundantly figurative here, the description given in Genesis 2:10, that a river flowed out of Eden through the Garden and out to water the rest of the world, matches that of a garden planted on the side of a mountain.

When our first parents rebelled and lost their access to the Garden, they and all their growing family apparently stayed by the cherubim guarded gates for quite some time, enough time, at least, to see their children born and grow, while (presumably) bringing sacrificial offerings to the Garden's gate. That is until Cain, after murdering his brother Abel in jealousy over Yahweh's regard for him, was driven "away from the face of the ground" ever further "east" "out from the presence of Yahweh" and away from those who "called upon the name of Yahweh" (Gen 4).

It is thus significant that the entrance into the Tabernacle (and later the First and Second Temples) was on the east side (complete with curtains embroidered with cherubim(!)). To enter it was to move from east to west, graciously reentering God's presence through His gates and up His mountain, even if only within still extremely strict limitations. Like the Garden, the water of Ezekiel's Temple flows out of the Temple doors down toward the east where it cleanses and restores the world (Eze 47:1-12). Here we see that the Tabernacle/Temple was correlated to a mountain. When Israel left Sinai, they took the mountain with them, so to speak.

This sheds significant light on God's continual choice of mountains to perform His redemptive acts and revelations. Mount Moriah is where Abraham "sacrificed" Isaac, where David saw the Angel of Yahweh, and where Solomon built the First Temple (it might also be where Christ was crucified, or at least it's very near). Mount Sinai is where God met with Israel, made a covenant with them, gave them the Law and instructions for the Tabernacle, and later brought Elijah, the greatest of the OT prophets not named Moses, to give him his final instructions.

Jesus's first sermon was on a mountain, He appointed His apostles on a mountain, He was transfigured on a mountain, He gave His Olivet Discourse while ascending a mountain, after His resurrection He commanded His disciples to meet Him on a mountain where He gave them His Great Commission, and He was lifted up and ascended into the heavens from the top of a mountain through the firmament into the Third Heaven at the end of His earthly ministry.

We, the redeemed New Humanity, have now come to "Mount Zion" where we may "boldly" approach the once restricted Holy Place (Heb 12:22; 10:19-22). We are a "city on a hill" that we might give light to the world, and we are promised that all nations will come to that light (Isa 60:3; cf. 2:2-4; 11:9; 25:6-9; 56:3-8; 65:25; Mic 4:1-4). The Kingdom of God, His Holy Mountain, which is already expanding after the coming of the Rock Who is Christ, will someday "fill the whole earth" (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45).

The chapter ends by briefly tracing the theme of precious stones from Eden (Gen 2:11-12; Eze 28:13), to the High Priest's garments (Ex 25:7; 28:9-12), to the color of the manna ("bdellium," Num 11:7), to Solomon's Temple and prosperity (1 Kings 6), to the prophetic Edenic promises of renewal (Isa 54:11-12; 60:5-11), fulfilled in the dazzling New Jerusalem (Rev 21:18-20).

Thus, both mountains and precious minerals, wherever they appear in Scripture, point toward Eden, lost->restored->consummated.

Andrew's extra: There is a cosmological importance to mountains that is easier to see imaginatively than it is to describe. There are three Heavens in the Biblical text. The first is the air around us stretching up to the firmament, the second is the firmament itself, and the "third Heaven" (2 Cor 12:2) is the throneroom of God or the true Holy of holies "not made by hands" hidden beyond the "veil" of the firmament.

A mountain, as the part of the earth that extends highest up into the first heaven, is nearest the firmament and therefore nearest to the third heaven.

During the ascension, when our New Covenant High Priest, Jesus, was lifted up, He "passed through the heavens" (Heb 4:14) and "entered within the veil" (Heb 6:19), and unlike the Old Covenant high priests who "could only enter once a year" (Heb 9:7) following very strict guidelines, Christ "entered the Holy Place once and for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb 9:12; cf. v.24) and then "sat down" (Heb 10:12; Acts 7:56), taking up permanent residence there always "interceding for us" (Rom 8:34) as our High Priest. In Him as our Head, as our High Priest, we are now "anchored beyond the veil" (Heb 6:19) having permanent access to God (Heb 10:19-22).

There are a ton of implications here, but just to point out a few: (1) This should help rewire how we see the created cosmos, which was created in the same pattern as the Tabernacle (Ex 25:40). We truly dwell Coram Deo (before the face of God). (2) It’s incredibly important to understand the OT sacrificial system because it gives us the clearest understanding of what Christ has done and is currently doing. (3) It sheds significant light on the "New"-ness of the New Covenant, which is every bit as material/physical as the first. I'll just leave that last one there for now.

Hey we’re reading the same thing!