From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology

by T. Desmond Alexander

As our study has revealed, the New Jerusalem is a natural extension of all that has been revealed in the rest of the Bible. We have traced its origins back to the opening chapters of Genesis. At that stage God created human beings in his image in order that they would fill the earth and extend the boundaries of Eden to encompass the whole earth. Although Adam and Eve’s rebellion endangered this project, God has graciously sought to rescue human beings from Satan’s control in order to bring to completion his plan for the world. The New Jerusalem marks the triumphal conclusion of this process. As we have noted, the Old Testament tabernacle and Jerusalem temple point forward to it, as does the church established by Jesus’ twelve apostles. Consequently, the whole of Scripture, and not just its final two chapters, provides us with a solid reason to believe in the future reality of the New Jerusalem. Our hope rests upon all that God has revealed, throughout the entire Bible, not just one small part at the end.