Five Types in the Garden of Eden

The story told by the Old Testament is full of Christological significance and God’s plan escalates to the defining moment in human history, the appearing of our Savior.

Typology involves recognizing similarities and connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament, where certain people, places, objects, or events in the Old Testament are seen as representing or anticipating corresponding realities in the New Testament.

The heavens and the earth are a type of a new heaven and new earth.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.Genesis 1:1

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.Revelation 21:1

First creation was temporary, the new creation will be everlasting.

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.Isaiah 65:17

First creation was marred by sin, the new creation will have no more tears, death or mourning.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.Revelation 21:4

Creation points us to Jesus as His work will bring about the new creation as the final work of salvation.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.Romans 8:18-21

The Garden of Eden is a type of the new Jerusalem.

The Garden and the New Jerusalem both have a tree of life and a river.

And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.Genesis 2:9-10

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.Revelation 22:1-2

The Garden was susceptible to danger and corruption. The New Jerusalem will never have anything unclean.

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.Genesis 2:15

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:Revelation 22:3

The Tree of Life is a type of Christ’s work on the cross.

The Tree of Life in the Garden gives everlasting life, while the Calvary’s tree purchases everlasting life for us.

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:Genesis 3:22

Once Adam eats of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, mankind is cut off from the Tree of Life.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.Genesis 2:17

We are barred from the Tree of Life because of our unrighteousness, we once again have access to this life because of Christ’s righteousness.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16

Coats of Skin are a type of Christ’s propitiation.

Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to conceal their sins, illustrating our tendency to hide our wrongdoing. Just as leaves eventually wither and fade, our efforts to make atone for our sins are also temporary and unsatisfactory.

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.Genesis 3:7-8

Something was sacrificed that covered Adam and Eve, these garments of skins were a type of the cross where Jesus died to cover his bride.

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.Genesis 3:21

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:Philippians 3:9

Propitiation involves both appeasing God’s wrath and covering our sins by the blood of Jesus.

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;Romans 3:24-25

God was the initiator to cover the sins of Adam and Eve, so He initiated our salvation by sending us His Son.

The exile from the Garden is a type of Christ’s abandonment by the Father as He bore our sins.

Adam and Eve’s exile from the Garden and loss of access to the Tree of Life meant they would die in exile.

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.Genesis 3:22-24

Adam and Eve left a place of God’s near presence and blessing to a place under the curse of sin and destruction. Jesus left fellowship with the Father in Heaven to come to a place under the curse of sin.

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.Galatians 4:4-5

Christ, while forsaken by the Father, made payment for sin, reversing our exile and giving us access to the Tree of Life again.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.2 Corinthians 5:21

While Adam and Eve were cursed to die apart from the close fellowship of the Father, Jesus made it possible to live eternally in the presence of the Father.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.Isaiah 53:11-12

God has always desired nearness and fellowship with His people.

Our sin separated us from God, but He sent Jesus to bring us near.

God is initiating a relationship with people who do not yet know Him.