The story of Adam and Eve, and their brief but blessed life in the Garden of Eden, is a familiar tale known to most everyone living in the world today. Believer and atheist alike: both are well versed in this Biblical account of paradise, the serpent, and the forbidden fruit. But something that puzzles everyone, whether those possessed of an elementary understanding of the creation story, or the well versed Bible scholar, is the question of what happened to the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve fell from grace? Was Eden a part of this earth, or was it in heaven? Could Eden be somewhere in the world today, but hidden from the eyes of sinful men? Or, has access to Eden now been grated to faithful souls who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? The aim of this study will be to answer these questions as taken directly from the teachings of the Church Fathers, many of whom were granted visions of paradise themselves. So with a childlike faith, and the maturity of a discerning mind, let us now embark on a quest in search of the Garden of Eden.
As we venture off to discover the whereabouts of Eden, let us first examine the qualities of the garden, and by cross referencing Biblical language an accurate description of Eden may be found. For example, the English word “paradise,” which has come down to us over time, contains within it several different linguistic sources of origin. For instance, the French word “paradis” is taken from the Latin “paradisus” which is taken from the Greek “paradeisos” which in turn is taken from the ancient Persian word “paradaijah” meaning: walled garden. Knowing that Eden has walls suggests boundaries, which in turn tells us that the Garden of Eden may be finite in area and not infinite in space as is heaven. A clue pointing to Eden being of an enclosed territory is found in Genesis 3:24 where we see God placing Cherubims at the east of Eden in order to guard the way of the tree of life. Since Adam and Eve were banished from the garden and the fact that the eastern entrance was guarded, this informs us that Eden truly was a walled garden. This means that Eden was not in heaven, yet at the same time it possesses heavenly qualities. Let us now examine where Eden stands in God’s creation.
In the first chapter of the book of Genesis the story of creation is summed up, as we read how God created the entire universe in a period of six days. Now the Bible informs us that the Lord God created the grass, the herbs, and all fruit bearing trees on the Third Day (Genesis 1:11). However, the creation of the Garden of Eden is nowhere to be found within all 31 verses of Genesis chapter one. But in the second chapter of the book of Genesis, Eden is first mentioned where it is written that, “…the LORD God planted a garden eastwards in Eden…” (Genesis 2:8). This exclusion of the “planting” of the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter one has led many to believe that Eden was created after the six days of creation. But by rightly dividing the word of truth, St. Ephraim the Syrian reveals to us that Eden (a place possessed of fruit bearing trees) must have also been created on the Third Day, along with the other plants and vegetation which the Lord God brought forth upon the face of the earth. So, now that we have come to an understanding of when Eden was created through the writings of St. Ephraim, let us lean on the holy insight of yet another Church Father to better comprehend the physical and spiritual properties of the Garden of Eden, and of how Eden and Earth simultaneously differ and are alike.
St. Gregory the Sinaite, who was blessed by God and deemed worthy of visiting the Garden of Eden, explains the relationship between the earth and Eden by relating the following: “Eden is a place in which there was planted by God every kind of fragrant plant. It is neither completely incorruptible, nor entirely corruptible. Placed between corruption and in-corruption, it is always both abundant in fruits and blossoming with flowers, both mature and immature. The mature trees and fruits are converted into fragrant earth which does not give off any odor or corruption, as do the trees of this world. This is from the abundance of the grace of sanctification which is constantly poured forth there.” So from this description of Eden, we see that the walled garden of paradise must have been located somewhere between heaven and earth, since the properties of the garden share the characteristics of both spiritual and physical creations. Going further, some Holy Fathers have stated that even before the fall of man the Garden of Eden was in an elevated place, resting slightly higher above the earth. The Fathers also teach us that after his fall, Adam was tormented over losing Paradise. The Fathers go on to say that for a certain period of time after his banishment from Eden, Adam could still see Paradise from where he was on the earth, which only added to Adam’s lament.
The Bible goes on to tell us of a river that went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it separated into four heads (Genesis 2:10). The Bible also names these four rivers. The first river is Pison, the second river is Gihon, the third river is Hiddekel, and the fourth river is Euphrates. These four rivers are believed to be the Tigris, Euphrates, Nile, Danube or possibly even the Ganges rivers. Since two of the four rivers of Eden (the Tigris and Euphrates) are located in Mesopotamia, it has led many to assume that the Garden of Eden must have been originally located somewhere within the arch of the Fertile Crescent: the cradle of ancient civilization. Now the fact that no traces of Paradise are to be found in these regions today, has been explained by some that the Garden of Eden must have been swept away by the Great Flood and that Eden’s current location lies somewhere buried at the bottom of the ocean. But this theory of Eden being destroyed by the Great Flood doesn’t hold water, because Eden is sacred and the Flood was sent to destroy wickedness not holiness. Also, the fact that Eden is nowhere to be found on earth tells us that this sacred garden must be protected by the Lord in a spiritual realm. Going further, after the sacrificial work Christ accomplished on earth, the Garden of Eden may now be in Heaven or could even be incorporated somehow into the New Jerusalem. Let us turn now and study the New Testament to better understand where exactly the Paradise of God could currently be located.
According to St. Luke’s Gospel, while Jesus was upon the cross, one of the two thieves who were crucified along with Christ asked the Lord to remember him in His Kingdom. Jesus then told the thief that on that very day would he be with Him in paradise (Luke 23:42,43). Now the Church teaches that before the resurrection of Jesus Christ, no human soul had access to heaven. But when Jesus descended into Hades, He pulled out of bondage all the righteous souls who had lived from the ages past, and thus led captivity captive and then ascended up on high (Ephesians 4:8). Now the fact that the thief went to paradise with Jesus, and considering how Christ also raised the spirits out of Hades and brought them to heaven, then it is evident that the Garden of Eden must now be inhabited by the Saints of God in heaven. A scripture which backs up the theory that Eden is now in heaven, is found in the book of Revelation where it explains how God will reward those who overcome the world by giving them to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7). By continuing in Revelation are we introduced to quite an awesome vision: that of the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from God (Revelation 3:12). In addition to the new Jerusalem, Revelation also informs us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth will pass away (Revelation 21:1). In the beginning the Garden of Eden possessed both physical and spiritual properties, and at the end of time both heaven and earth (spirit and matter) will be united and glorified. Through the incarnation of Christ, the Fathers teach that heaven begins in this life, and Jesus also preached that the kingdom of God is within us. So if we are ever going to find Paradise before we die, then maybe we can discover the Garden of Eden by looking into the depths of our very own heart.
References:
Orthodox Study Bible (Elk Grove, CA:St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology, 2008).
Rose, Fr. Seraphim. Genesis, Creation, and Early Man. (Platina, CA: St. Herman of Alska Brotherhood, 2011).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).